Sudan 'apostasy' woman in US

Meriam Ibrahim Tehya Ishag and her family were given a warm welcome in the US, the final leg of their trip from Sudan which began over a week ago. The couple and their two infant children landed first in the east coast city of Philadelphia, where they were greeted by the mayor.

Describing the 26-year-old Sudanese woman as a "world freedom fighter," Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said it was fitting that she begin her American journey in a city with a rich history of religious freedom.

Following their welcome in Philadelphia, the couple then travelled some 400 miles (643 kilometers) north to their new home in city of Manchester, where Ishag's husband has family.

Ishag made international headlines in May when a Sudanese court sentenced her to death for abandoning the Islamic faith to become a Christian, an act known as apostasy. She had been raised an Orthodox Christian, but a Sudanese judge ruled that she should be regarded as a Muslim because that was her father's faith.

While in prison, she gave birth to a baby girl, her second child with her husband Daniel Wani, who is a US citizen.

Appeals from foreign leaders, including UK Prime Minister David Cameron, eventually led to her release. However, days after her conviction was overturned, police arrested her again, saying she had attempted to leave the country with forged documents.

The 26-year-old and her husband took refuge in the US embassy in Khartoum in June. Last week, they flew to Rome where they stayed for eight days, during which time she was granted an audience with Pope Francis, before departing for the US.

kms/pfd (AP, AFP)